Author: Maynard

Some dates are emblematic milestones on the road of life. Sure they seem silly and pointless when it’s not yours but we celebrate with vigor anyway if for no other reason than to guilt our friends into celebrating ours when the time comes. When your good friend is about to turn into an old man – a process well underway years ago – you have to make them something special. No simple note card will do it. A gift card? Pfft! Let’s create a beer and design a truly appropriate label for it!

So that’s what happened. Beer is either a hoppy American amber or a light Red IPA, somewhere in between really. A clean, easy drinking red-ish beer with a smooth bitterness. Made with mostly 2-row pale and a splash of caramel and Special B malt to balance out the Centennial, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. Fermented with the classic San Diego Super yeast from our good friends at White Labs. From grain to glass in 12 days!

The label was created primarily in Illustrator of course and the face was done with Photoshop (using the 1-bit tiff trick). Typefaces used are Berliner for title copy and some of the Clarendon family for the rest. Vinyl, reusable labels printed at GrogTags. Protip™: Don’t try to apply the labels to cold or slightly moist bottles. That was not my best moment.

It was a fun project to complete and can’t be happier with the outcome not only the beer label design but the reaction and enjoyment that people had at the party. Next time you’re thinking about a gift, try making something instead. Get out there and make stuff!

So happy with the chance, finally, to make a poster for the San Diego institution known as The Paladins. I’ve seen them dozens of times, mostly at The Casbah, but until now have never had the opportunity to print up a gigposter for them. So jazzed! The design goal here was to hark back to an early Sixties flat, complementary color vibe while not losing sight of their rock-a-billy roots. Also I have to say it was fun to try to run counter to their long history of posters which largely use classic rockabilly and underground art tropes in their graphic design. Playing with a simpler more formal layout helped bring a different feel to their visual presentation. Or so was the goal. Hope they dig it!

Print details:

Full color digital lithograph 11″ x 17″ on 12-point, acid free C1S coated cover.
Typefaces were Monterey, originally from Intertype, and Clarendon orginally from Fann St. but later digitally set by Letraset.

It’s that time again. By request here is our interpretation / characterization of the Trump Administration. And before you ask, we will not be making t-shirts or any other product with this image. The printers simply refuse to stare at these jerks’ faces for even the short time of a print run =)

Ever wonder what it would be like for California to be free to truly determine it’s own laws, future, and destiny? What would our great republic be like if we were no long saddled with the prejudices and platforms of the United States? These questions should now be faced as we look to the future of California and what it means to be a Californian.

Please visit Yes California (yescalifornia.org) to learn more about California Independence. We fully encourage rational debate, reasoned vetting, and logical implementation of secession from the union.

If everyone could just stop killing people, we can focus on how to make the world a better place. A place where we need not worry about being murdered in the street because of our skin color, religious views, or lifestyle. A place where every individual is judged by their actions and kindnesses rather than by their opinions. A place where children are given every opportunity to grow into sensible, reasonable, and considerate adults. Where safety, peace, and mutual respect are the standards by which society is deemed successful.

If you use violence for any other reason than to stop violence, you should be shunned and removed from society. No mercy for these fuckers.

Maniacal Industries is home to dumb stuff for smart people including apparel, posters, prints, and writing. We like to make things and write about stuff. If you would like us to make things or write stuff for you just drop us a line at scoreloot@maniacalindustries.com